


A Foolproof Plan

by Ryuki



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Masquerade, every plan is a good plan when you have a death wish, foolhardy plan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 01:06:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12354237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryuki/pseuds/Ryuki
Summary: Julian sneaks into the palace the night of the masquerade. What's the worst that could happen?





	A Foolproof Plan

Music churned through the air, almost as heavily as the perfumes and the succulent aroma of food. The palace seemed filled to the brim with people, all wearing masks and costumes. Surprise flitted through Xixa’s thoughts as she looked over the rather expansive spread of food Nadia had provided. It was even more decadent than the daily meals. And there was  _tons_  more alcohol.

Though, judging by the way a few of the patrons stumbled, Xixa wasn’t sure how long the drink would last. Were there enough spirits in Vesuvia to sate the drunkards of the court? With a slight smile, Xixa shook the thought from her head. She was being harsh. But, other than Nadia and Portia – both of whom had extensive jobs this night – Xixa was left to fend for herself.

Well, there  _was_ Consul Valerius. The very thought made Xixa’s nose wrinkle as she refilled her goblet. Their renewed acquaintance seemed inevitable, since he was – it turned out – the head of the palace guard and she  _was_  investigating Count Lucio’s murder. Not that she was pursuing Nadia’s desired felon. Well… not in the way Nadia planned. Swallowing her guilt with a sip of wine, Xixa scanned the crowd. A sea of people, but she didn’t know any of them. A slight chill of loneliness crept up her arms, ushering a sigh from her lips.

Vaguely, she wondered if Nadia would even notice if she left the party. The Countess had all but ordered her to attend, impressing upon the apprentice the importance of relaxing after so many days of difficult investigation. Yet, surely, Nadia wasn’t  _that_ observant. Especially when there were masks and miles of fabric and so many people.

Decided, Xixa weaved her way through the throngs of people. A few tried to loop arms around her, coax her into waltz, but she easily danced out of their inebriated holds. Surprising herself, the apprentice managed to make it to the upper levels relatively quick. Though, locating the library proved to be a bit more difficult. With the Masquerade, the palace walls had been draped in endless, sheer fabric of various colors. Plus, the additional bodies who found their giggling way to any nook and crevice threw off Xixa’s sense of direction.

Eventually, she found the library. After quickly glancing around, Xixa pressed her palm to the ornate door. Closing her eyes, her magic crept into the mechanisms. Through gears and around cogs, she coaxed her magic; feel as if the twists and turns were endless. Locks clicked, one by one, almost deafening despite the noise of boisterous partying. When the finally one sounded, and the door opened, Xixa darted into the library.

Cool, dry air washed over her warm, flushed skin. Standing by the door as it spiraled shut, Xixa took a moment to enjoy the sudden change. It was almost like stepping into a different world. Complete silence rippled around her. Moonlight peered in through the stained glass window, washing the dark room with a light blue glow.

Xixa found herself idling by Julian’s old desk, fingertips tracing the edges of the pile of books. Placing her glass of wine down, her fingers fiddled with the straps of her mask – a rather simple arctic fox mask, compared to some of the elegant monstrosities others wore – and placed it down on the desktop. Just as she reached for some papers, covered in Julian’s scrawl, an ambient sound caught her ear.

The shift of shoes catching on carpet, a barely there hush of a body fumbling into a chair. Xixa spun around, her eyes immediately catching on the lounging figure, relaxing in an armchair. The glint of the moon shined on their tall leather boots and red hair.

“Julian,” she breathed, heart thrumming. Her mind raced wildly, trying to make sense of seeing Julian in the palace. This man was going to be the death of her. Breaking into the palace, on  _the anniversary of Count Lucio’s murder._  What was he thinking?

Though, with one leg propped across the arm of the chair, and the other splayed before him, Julian looked positively roguish in the moonlight. He looked up at her, lips twisted into a grin and grey eye dancing with success, his red hair curtaining part of his face from view.

The apprentice took a few steps closer to him, narrowing her eyes. Something seemed off. “Did you… did you move that chair into the moonlight?”

Xixa was certain it hadn’t been there when she entered.

Julian’s few moments of suavity were up. Embarrassed at being caught, a flush crept across his face and he pushed himself into an upright position, swinging both legs to the front of the chair. “The, uh, the lighting in here is atrocious, Xixa. Can’t read a thing.”

“Uh-huh.” Xixa smiled, moving a little closer. “What  _are_  you doing here? Seems like a good way to get caught.”

“On the contrary, this is the best night to be here.” He stood, towering over Xixa, his grin returning. The apprentice had a feeling he had made this presentation before. Probably to Portia, whom she wagered gave him the keys – or a copy of them – to the library. With a dramatic sweep of his arms, Julian continued, “Throngs of people coming in and out, the halls lined with faces and masks _._  Meanwhile, the guards will either distracted by keeping order at this Masquerade or out patrolling the city. And out dear Countess will be too busy with drunk, clingy courtiers to notice my shadow lurking about.”

“No one would expect the devilish Dr. Devorak to creep into the one place he’s most likely to get caught,” Xixa added, sardonically, an unimpressed pucker twisting at her lips. Her hand waved toward his body, indicating his attire. “You’re not even in costume.”

His arms dropped to his sides, the beginnings of a pout pulling at his lips. The clear, steadfast tone he took moments ago softened as he said, “I had another reason to sneak in, you know.”

“Oh, doctor,” sighed Xixa as she moved closer to him. A small smile started to quirk the corners of his lips up. Xixa caught his arms shift, just slightly, in anticipation for an embrace. Leaning forward, an arm’s length away, the apprentice poked him in the chest. “You never gave me an  _initial_  reason.”

“What?”

“Why are you here, in the palace library, instead of hiding in Mazelinka’s bed?”

At the mention of the old woman’s bed, and the implications behind the words, Julian reared back a little. Or maybe it was Xixa’s teasing tone that caused him to back away, just slightly. A flush was quickly creeping across his face, from ear to ear.

“Though, I appreciate Mazelinka’s hospitality, there are  _other_  beds I’d prefer to be in.” His grey eye trailed down Xixa’s body, desire heating his gaze. The apprentice silently cursed Nadia for the dress she wore. A white, form-fitting number, with a corset and asymmetrical skirt. In a fit of defiance, Xixa wrapped a multi-colored shawl around her waist, which earned an amused raise of eyebrows from Nadia. A heat simmered in Julian’s eye, though, that made Xixa’s insides melt.

A pulse of excitement shot down her spine, nerves sizzled in its wake. Warmth flared in her, different and more satisfying than the sticky heat that coiled around the ballroom. The urge to grab him by his collar and mash their lips together itched at her fingertips. Heart quickening, Xixa’s brain scrabbled to find a way to defuse the sexual tension. Her first line of defense: play dumb. “Oh? Whose bed is that?”

Spurred by her reaction, however, Julian took a step forward,  _that_ easy – almost rapacious – grin parted his lips. “Take a wager.”

“Um, Nadia?” Xixa smiled, cheekily. “She  _is_  stunning.”

Julian stopped, the unlikely answer momentarily shocking him. It was only a small hiccup in his thoughts. He chuckled under his breath and shook his head. “Mmn, she  _is_  rather fetching. Just the little issue of her thinking I killed her late husband, though.”

“Consul Valerius, then?” How could this man make her heart shudder so violently? A few people had passed through her life, during Asra’s long travels. People who kept her warm at nights and kept loneliness at bay. None of them made her feel as breathless or tingly as Julian could, though. “You both have a flair for knocking things over.”

“No.” He didn’t even hesitate in replying. Just kept his grey gaze on her face. There was such a hot intensity in his eyes, the teasing didn’t seem puncture his thoughts. He leaned closer to her, still grinning. In fact, Xixa would go so far as to say he was ‘smirking.’

Licking the seam of her lips – unintentionally catching Julian’s eye – the apprentice had one more name to throw at him. “Asra? Haven’t seen him around, though.”

The hungry expression on Julian’s face dropped at the mention of the magician. The doctor groaned, low in his chest, rolling his eye toward the ceiling. Xixa briefly thought she achieved success. Then, his gloved hands landed on Xixa’s shoulders, warm despite the fabric. Leaning down until his lips barely brushed against hers, he huffed, “You’re utterly exasperating.”

Xixa made a non-committal sound, eyes roving over the doctor’s face. Tantalizing lips, so close. Heat blossomed inside her chest. Why did this have to be so hard? The fabric of his waistcoast grazed her palms as her hands slid up his chest. Nadia  _was_ busy, the guards preoccupied, and they were alone. Maybe… maybe they weren’t in danger.

By the time Xixa made her decision, her hands had traversed to his face. Her fingers splayed across the sides of his jaw. The apprentice pulled him close, closing the millimeters between them.

As soon as their lips joined, Julian gave a low groan, wrapping his arms around her waist. He dipped into her, leaning fully into the kiss as he crushed her against him. How long had he been waiting for  _this_? Faintly, Xixa wondered if the whole point of this trip to the palace was to see her. She waved the thought before it could set. That was silly; tempting his luck just to see her?

Xixa raked her teeth across his lower lip, awarded with a breathy whimper of delight, before deepening the kiss. Her hands slid further up his head, burying her fingers into his hair and massaging his scalp with her nails. Another moan resonated from his chest, vibrating right to Xixa’s core. A firm warmth pressed against Xixa’s lower belly, taunting her excitement.

The sudden urge to see his face – his blushing cheeks and hooded expression, clouded with desire – flared through her. With her hand at the back of his head, she gave a harder yank. Their kiss broke with a gasp from Julian. His ragged breathing heaving his chest, his eye closed as he basked in the pleasure-pain that raced down his spine. She tugged at his hair again, earning a throaty moan from Julian.

Xixa held his head back, enjoying the view. Red hair mussed, face flushed, eye hooded and glazed with a needy desire, bottom lip curved as Julian bit down in anticipation. How did a man – an alleged murderer, no less – look so alluring? Her own breathing, deep and uneven, was even more pronounced in her corset. The heat inside her crept from her core, out toward her limbs. Prickles bit over her flesh, like a breeze shifting over her skin.

She heard it a second too late. The convoluted door to the library clicking open. As the entryway opened, golden light pouring into the library, Nadia’s voice rang out. “Xixa, are you in he-”

The Countess’s red eyes lighted on the scene, instantly going wide. The doctor and apprentice stared back at her, faces flushed but the breath gone out of them. This time, the adrenaline rush wasn’t one made from pleasure. Piercing cold shot through Xixa’s stomach.

Silence reigned over the scene. Somewhere in the hall, a glass broke and someone drunkenly giggled. Another glass broke, this time with the sense of purposefully. Nadia only stared, eyes wide at the apprentice, caught in a lover’s tangle with none other than the fugitive  _roach_ , Dr. Devorak.

From the corner of their eyes, Xixa and Julian exchanged a look. The apprentice was at a loss. How did they get out of  _this?_  As she pondered their problem, Julian’s mind moved quickly into action. Apparently, being on the run honed his ‘foolhardy escape plans’ lobe of the brain.

He snagged Xixa roughly, spinning her around. He slammed her back against him, an arm locked around her waist and her arms. His other hand tightly clasped over the front of her throat. Shock issued a gasp from her lips and she instinctively struggled against his hold.

“Stop there, Countess, or I will break your precious apprentice’s neck.” The venom in Julian’s voice made an icy shudder run down Xixa’s spine. With his hand on her throat, she realized just how dangerous a fugitive doctor could be. His hot breath brushed against her ear, sent tingles of a conflicting nature over her body. He was moving backwards and, within moments, was expertly traversing the stairs to the upper level.

The question that resonated through her head, however, was what was Julian up to?

As their position shifted, gentle moonlight washed over them. The window! Xixa finally pieced Julian’s plan together. She struggled harder in his grip, trying to make her act of delaying his trip up the stairs convincing.

“Nadia! Please, ge-” Her plea ended with a sputter as Julian squeezed. Against the back of her head, she thought she felt Julian’s lip twitch into a smirk.  _Was he enjoying this?_

At the call of her name, the Countess roused from her shock. Apparently, the thought of the apprentice  _actually_ being involved with the doctor couldn’t register. However, seeing him take Xixa hostage? That fit her mental narrative of Dr. Devorak. There was a snarl of “You  _roach_ ” before she was calling in the guards with the most commanding, sonorous voice Xixa had heard from the woman, yet.

With Nadia further distracted, Julian whispered against the curve of Xixa’s hair. “I’m sorry about this.”

Pressed firmly against Julian – and gaining an understanding why he enjoyed pain – Xixa wasn’t about to hold a grudge. She was more concerned with other matters. Such as the excessive fall from library window to ground outside. “How’re you going to land safe?”

“Trees,” hissed the doctor, just as their feet tapped across the landing. Without her phony struggling or stairs to fumble over, their pace quickened. They soon made it close to the window, but not before swarms of guards and onlookers oozed into the room.

“There! On the parapet!” A person with a bear mask keened, pointing toward the railing with a half-empty wine goblet. Julian’s arms tightened around Xixa, but she wasn’t sure if it was for show or fear.

“Don’t just stand there,” Nadia blustered, turning her fiery red gaze to her guards. “Get the damned doctor!”

Booted feet clamored up the stairs, their footfalls ringing out along the parapet, making the balustrade jiggle. The stampede of guards sent tremors up Xixa’s spine, shaking her bones. There was a creak as too many bodies attempted to climb the stairs at once. An armored body lost their footing – or perhaps was pushed – and tumbled down the stairs.

In the confusion, Julian released the apprentice and shoved Xixa to her knees. He raced the rest of the way to the window. On his sprint, he snatched a rather heavy-looking gilded tome from a shelf and hurled it at the stained glass. Colors cracked and rained down. The chink of thousands of shards rang through the air. Peals of screams erupted from the party-goers as they danced away from broken glass, despite it landing nowhere near their bodies.

The guards made it to the landing, pounding their way toward the doctor as he scrambled up the winding ivy that crept over the walls of the library. Xixa’s eyes darted from Julian to the guards, gauging the distance between them. They were too close for comfort.

With a heaving sigh, Xixa ‘fainted’ across the guards’ path. She braced herself for at least one collision. The sound of cusses and bungling filled the air. A few of the more quick-thinking guards – or perhaps they were the sober ones – vaulted over her form.

The moment of confusion was all Julian needed. Xixa watched through the tufts of her bangs, thankful for the darkness of the library, as the doctor scaled the ivy and ducked through the broken window. She thought he threw one last longing look in her direction, that rogue grin parting his lips. It was too dark to be sure.

x x x

_Tak, tak, tak._

Blearily, Xixa raised her head from the mound of pillows. The happenings of last night oozed into her consciousness. It didn’t take much to convince the Countess of Xixa’s intentions. Only partly lying through her teeth, the apprentice related seeking refuge from the boisterous party in the library. There, she ran into the dastardly Dr. Devorak. It was agreed, all around, that he had used the cover of a crowd to gain access to the palace. However, she startled him and a struggle ensued; a struggle she couldn’t use magic in, due to the amount of drink she had imbibed. If the Countess hadn’t arrived when she did, Xixa was afraid she wouldn’t have had a chance.

Everyone seemed pleased with this re-telling. Well, save for Consul Valerius. But, by that hour, Xixa couldn’t care less.

Full sunlight streamed into her window, where a black shadow sat tapping.

_Tak, tak, tak._

A raven. It was a raven. Specifically the raven who frequented the Rowdy Raven. Despite the protests of her body, Xixa fumbled her way to the window. As soon as she pulled open the panes, the ragged avian hopped into her room. He stood with a foot before him, staring as if waiting for Xixa to do something.

Wrapped around his leg was a small piece of parchment. She fumbled with the string on the paper, freeing the bird of his delivery. As soon as he gave Xixa a nibble on her shirt – and she pet his head – the raven ducked out the window.

Xixa rolled the piece of paper flat, taking more than a moment to let her eyes adjust to the scrawl. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared over the words. It took her a few minutes before her foggy brain registered the tight sloppy manuscript:

‘ _Perhaps I should have worn a costume.’_

A scoff left Xixa’s lips as she rolled her eyes. She couldn’t help her smile and the warm glow that seeped into her body, though. Looking out over the city, feeling a bit more energized, the apprentice thought about the amount of people recovering from the Masquerade last night. The city would be hungover, groggy, and quiet today. Maybe, it was a perfect day to visit Mazelinka and whomsoever stumbled into her bed last night.


End file.
